Senator Gleason Hails Passage of Road Commission Consolidation Bill

Senator John Gleason (D-Flushing) praised action taken by the Senate Committee on Transportation to allow county commissions to assume the duties of county road commissions. The measure, seen by many as a cost saver, now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

“In many cases eliminating the road commission and allowing the county commissioners to handle those responsibilities will save taxpayer money,” said Senator Gleason. “This bill gives counties the option to consolidate services and get rid of excess layer of government.”

Senator Gleason said he is pleased with the overall legislation but that he plans to offer a transparency amendment before a final vote is taken by the Senate. The amendment would require that counties wait at least 28 days before voting on the consolidation measure and that they must hold public hearings to seek citizen input.

“I think that the concerns of citizens should be heard and addressed before the county government takes over these duties,” Gleason added. “Government runs better when its actions are transparent.”